The Beauty of the Beast
by JustOneOfThoseGirls
Summary: Hermione is brilliant and talented, as is her Potions teacher. Their feelings change and develop. What happens when their hot fling causes Hermione's future with any other man to not be enough...? And how does Severus feel about his dirty little secret?


**Chapter One:  
Internship**

Hermione woke with a start. Her small curls stuck to her face and forehead with perspiration. She looked around the dim room, her eyes wild. Why was her subconscious doing this to her? Why couldn't she forget about that day? It had been one time. And now... that's all she was able to think about. She cradled her face in her hands and began to sob silently with Ron sleeping soundly beside her. What was wrong with her?

---

It was her, Harry, and Ron's seventh year. They had just one year left before they'd finally graduate from Hogwarts. Unfortunately, for Hermione, graduating seemed like a dreadful thing. She loved the ghosts wandering through the halls, the mysteries hidden in the old walls, and she loved _him_.

She'd started to notice her crush develop near the end of her sixth year... She was rushing past people in the train station to board the train before it left her stranded in the wizarding world. Just as she was turning a corner, she ran into him. She lost her balance and fell onto her butt, merely making him stumble.

"It would probably be safer if you watched where you walked, Ms. Granger," the familiar voice of Severus Snape stated, "It would be quite a shame if a pretty face and brilliant mind such as yours were injured in an easily avoided situation."

Her cheeks flushed slightly. "I'm sorry Professor; I thought I was to miss the train."

"Obviously," he sneered. He then turned and began to walk away, a flurry of black cloaks behind him.

Ever since that mere incident, she wasn't able to get his words off of her mind. Did he really think that she was _brilliant_? Or that she was _pretty_? She shuddered every time she thought of the pretty part. A man at his age and his... looks has obviously seen many women - especially bedded. So, why would he pick her out of all the other female students to flatter? Especially because she's a Gryffindor for Christ's sake!

Hermione shook the thoughts out of her head as she stepped through the castle doors to begin her seventh and final year at Hogwarts. It was strange; Harry with Ginny and Ron after her. Ron wasn't a bad guy; he was sweet and he was quite cute... but he didn't have the intellect, nor did he have the... charm that her potions professor did.

"Hurry up; we're gonna be late!" Harry called to Ron as he, Hermione, and Ginny began running to the Great Hall.

As they stepped through the doors, they saw the candles floating, all of their schoolmates since they were eleven had recently changed dramatically over the summer, and they saw all of the First years. There were close to a hundred of them, all open-faced and naiive. That would certainty change. Especially if they were thrown into the Slytherin house.

Ginny and Harry sat across from Hermione and Ron at the middle of the Gryffindor table, a girl with brown hair with pink and blue raccoon tail extensions turned to Hermione and stuck out her hand with a huge grin. Hermione raised her eyebrows at the odd hair color and shook her hand.

"Hey there; I'm Fay Hamsheld. I just transferred from Beauxbatons Academy," the brown haired girl introduced, her blue eyes sparkling.

"I'm Hermione, that's Ron, Harry, and Ginny," she replied, motioning to her friends.

Fay grinned. "You guys know my brother? Well, you probably do. He is, after all, in the same grade as all of us."

"Except Ginny," Harry added as he was taking a drink.

"Who is your brother?" Ron asked, swallowing a hard gulp of some type of desert. By now all the First Years had been seated.

"Draco Malfoy."

Harry began choking on his pumpkin juice and his eyes went wide, "_The_ Draco Malfoy? As in the one in Slytherin?!"

"Yep, that's my brother all right," Fay laughed, "Well, he's not actually my brother. But he treats me like a little sister. I skipped a grade because, apparently, I'm really smart or something."

Hermione flushed with slight jealousy. Even though she got the best marks, she'd still never managed to skip a grade and this thin girl had? Unheard of. Impossible. Yet... she could see it in the curious blue eyes her brilliance. But how could a sweet girl in Gryffindor be treated as a sibling of the Slytherin prince?

"How are you like his sister? You're a Gryffindor... Plus, he's a total jerk. And let's not even start about his parents," Ginny stated calmly.

Fay giggled - a sound like wind chimes. "Drakey? No way. He's a total softy." She smiled. "His dad is a douche, no doubt about that one but his mom really likes me. She loves to shop and I bare through the shopping with her, so she buys me clothes and let's me get my hair done however I want."

"_Drakey_?" Ron began laughing. "Oh man, that's going to be a riot."

"If you call him Drakey, he'll be quite mad at you. And probably at me. Wait... are you two related?" Fay motioned to Ginny and Ron.

"They're brother and sister," Harry informed, his finger curling around Ginny's red hair, absently.

The room quieted as the schedules were handed out. Fay studied hers for a few short minutes before tucking it into her robe pocket. Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione followed suit. They then all looked at each other.

"As usual, the trio has the same classes," Harry laughed.

Ginny sighed. "I hate being younger than you guys. I only get lunch with you."

"Dude. I have the same classes as the trio," Fay laughed. "Wicked."

"Where in the world are you coming up with all of these words? Wicked? Douche? Dude?" Hermione finally asked.

Fay shrugged. "I went to a public school until I was eleven and when I'm not in magic school, I hang out in the muggle world; my parents moved from the wizarding world a long time ago so I grow up around everyday teenagers. I guess I just started talking like them. I never really noticed, haha. But, enough of me! Let's go to class!"

-

The last period of the day, AP Potions. The trio of the quartet walked solemnly, hating their last class. Hermione was secretly giddy to see Severus, although she did a good job of hiding it. Fay skipped, as she was always overenthusiastic about everything. They finally walked down the dark staircase, the air getting colder and musky with the smell of mold.

After a few short minutes of shouting and yelling, the students quieted down. Severus slid into the room, his face grim and his greasy hair casting shadows on his face. He spotted Hermione, his face softening for a mere second that was barely noticeable and then he saw Fay. She was shooting small bits of paper into the hair of a Ravenclaw in front of her.

"Without any further interruptions," Severus snapped, creating eye contact with the goofy-haired girl, "I would like to tell you about a new option that is available for you seventh years. I am to take on an intern, therefore you may apply for an internship. The internship will begin next year _after_ you have graduated but you will be missing your third period class - starting next month - for most, if not all, of the year. Sign ups and... an audition of sorts will be held in this room on Saturday. Only the best will be chosen."

The students began murmuring slightly. The thought of getting out of their third period class, for which most students had Divination with the crazy redhead that was Professor TreLawney, sounded promising enough but having to spend a year with Snape _after_ they'd graduated did not. Nor did waking up on a Saturday to "audition". Besides, he'd stated only the best would be chosen. So, why try?

Severus then began passing out what Dumbledore referred to as "guidelines for the semester grades" on a piece of parchment. As he was passing the quartet's desks, he muttered, "I expect that I'll be seeing you this Saturday, Miss Granger."

"You can count on it, Professor," Hermione confirmed, smiling softly.

Ron and Harry rolled their eyes; it was just like Hermione to be thinking of the future, not the here and now. It was also like Hermione to jump on the chance to prove her smarts to anyone and everyone. Fay flicked another piece of paper into the Ravenclaw's hair, not paying any mind to what was going on at hand. Hermione was grateful for that; she was much quicker than her two male friends.

-

"So, Hermione, are you really going to take that internship?" Ron asked after their class finally ended.

Hermione quirked an eyebrow at him. "Of course I am, Ron."

Harry butted in with, "An hour with Snape each day and then a whole year _after_ you graduate? Torture!"

"He doesn't seem too bad," Fay interjected politely, "He probably just hates you two because, Harry, you're the Gryffindor Prince and Ron is your best friend. His godson, Draco, is the Slytherin prince. House rivalries, I'm sure."

"Or maybe he's just got his knickers in a bunch because Harry can easily get laid and Snape can't," Ron stated.

A silent threat was put on Ron just then by Hermione's stern gaze and Fay's mockingly knowing gaze. Ron was ignorant to both Hermione and Fay. Fay finally broke the glaring by mumbling, "I think it's a good idea; Hermione will probably enjoy it. Potions isn't really my thing; I'm more of a DADA and Herbology kind of girl, myself."

"Thanks Fay," Hermione mumbled, "I just hope I'll be accepted."

"How could you _not_ be, Mione? You are the smartest seventeen-year-old girl in this school," Harry stated.

Hermione smiled slightly, knowing he was right. She would get this internship. She would get the internship and investigate her crush on Severus while doing so. She would figure out, once and for all, what she was feeling.

---

Soo... how'd you like it?  
It wasn't too bad, was it?  
I thought I did alright...  
This is, like, one of my first stories  
So, if it sucks, don't judge me too harsh.  
I worked pretty hard on this  
And I actually like it.  
Oh, by the way, Fay is just some made up character  
She'll serve a bigger purpose later on  
And I'll probably end up making a story based on her love life  
Of course, only after I finish this one.  
Anyways! Tell me what you thought:)

Cheers,  
Carriah


End file.
